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Women with hypopituitarism treated with growth hormone (GH) traditionally receive estrogens for sex hormone replacement in tablet form. Oral estrogen therapy robs these patients of the therapeutic benefits of GH; however, the use of transdermal patches circumvents this problem. The wastage of GH therapy is even more pronounced with contraceptive doses of estrogen.
In April 2011, the International Olympic Committee determined that women with hyperandrogenism and androgen levels above the lower limit of the male range cannot compete against other women. This attempt to implement a 'level playing field' has received much criticism. But is it justified?
Diabetes mellitus diagnosed during the first 2 years of life differs from the disease in older children regarding its causes, clinical characteristics, treatment options and needs in terms of education and psychosocial support. This Review summarized the current knowledge on the clinical management of diabetes mellitus in infants, including diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, ongoing diabetes care and quality control.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of bone development, remodeling and pathologies. This Review discusses the critical functions of miRNAs controlling skeletal cell commitment, growth and differentiation. The authors present novel insights into the supervision of chondro-osteogenic signaling pathways and transcriptional regulatory networks that are coordinated for normal bone homeostasis.
There is an epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus in nearly every nation in the world. This Review gives an overview of the current trends of the diabetes epidemic in a world scenario and discusses the associated major risk factors, particularly genetic and epigenetic factors. The potential impact of the use of HbA1cas an alternative diagnostic tool on global diabetes surveillance is also discussed.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is best known for its anti-atherosclerotic actions; however, emerging evidence suggests that it also has direct beneficial actions on plasma glucose control through multiple mechanisms. This Review discusses emerging evidence for the role of HDL-mediated glucose regulation in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the therapeutic potential for HDL elevation to prevent and manage the disease.
The worldwide pandemic of childhood obesity has renewed interest in the relationship between body composition in childhood and the timing and tempo of puberty. This Review presents current evidence linking adiposity to the timing of puberty in boys and girls and highlights inconsistencies and opportunities for future research.
